Apple has developed a new tabletop robot designed to be more engaging and expressive than traditional robots. This suggests that the company may be exploring home robotics. The project was revealed through a research paper published on Apple’s Machine Learning Research website.
According to the paper, Apple believes that robots should do more than just perform tasks—they should also express emotions, intentions, and attention to improve interactions with humans.
The project is being led by researchers Yuhan Hu, Peide Huang, Mouli Sivapurapu, and Jian Zhang. A video released with the research paper compares two robots: one labeled Expressive and the other Functional. The expressive robot reacts in a more engaging and fun way. The unnamed robot features moving arms, an LED light, a camera, a speaker, and a projector. It responds to voice commands and gestures and even has a voice similar to Apple’s Siri.
The research suggests that this robot may develop a personality over time. For instance, in the video, when the researcher plays music, the expressive robot dances along. When she asks for the weather, it looks outside before responding. This highlights how an expressive robot can form a stronger connection with humans.
There has been long-standing speculation that Apple is working on home robots, especially as artificial intelligence continues to evolve. Bloomberg recently reported that Apple has a team of several hundred people developing a home robot with a robotic arm and an iPad-like screen, capable of moving and tilting in different directions—similar to Amazon’s Echo Show.
However, Apple’s research paper suggests the company may take a different approach than its competitors. Reports indicate that Apple’s vice president of technology, Kevin Lynch, is leading the home robotics project.
With this new research, Apple is taking a step closer to making home robots a reality.
